Uchiha's personal opinion

Suddenly, a voice rang out from behind Hattori Heiji.

"who!"

Hattori Heiji's hair stood on end.

"No...it should be former Attendant-in-Ordinary Changping Ciqing..."

A figure emerged from the darkness behind Heiji Hattori and spoke calmly.

"You are……"

Hattori Heiji glanced at the uninvited guest and couldn't help but swallow hard.

Judging from their attire and those distinctive Byakugan eyes, the newcomer is a Konoha ninja...

"I am Hyuga Hizashi, Chief of Staff of the Shogunate's Joint Anti-Terrorism Force..."

"What brings you here?"

Hattori Heiji dared not be careless in the slightest. He held a kunai behind his back with his right hand, leaned forward slightly, and prepared to make his move.

"Lord Deguang wants to see you. Come with me!"

Hyuga Hizashi, unconcerned by Hattori Heiji's wariness, casually and cheerfully revealed his purpose.

"Lord Tokumitsu..."

Hattori Heiji couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

I am the commander of the ninja army responsible for defending against the shogunate! How come the shogunate's people have come knocking on my door so soon after I was dismissed and placed under house arrest in the palace!

Just how many shogunate spies were there in Daimyo Prefecture?

Hattori Heiji, deeply disturbed by the thought, dared not linger any longer.

"Now...now..."

Hattori Heiji swallowed hard again. "I've been placed under house arrest by the Daimyo..."

"So... you don't even know the Shadow Clone Technique...?"

Hyuga Hizashi's polite smile gradually faded, giving him no chance to refuse.

"I'll go right away..."

Hattori Heiji began to form hand seals, his hands trembling.

"Change your clothes! No rush! Lord Deguang is already waiting for you!"

Hyuga Hizashi snorted coldly and said arrogantly.

Chapter 401 Rasa's Attack

Since leading the joint anti-terrorism ninja army back to the Land of Wind, Rasa has sensed that his "comrades" in Sunagakure seem to have some opinions about his actions, and sometimes they look at him with a strange gaze.

But Luo Sha didn't care.

Especially after accompanying Elder Ebizo to inspect the Sunagakure Standing Ninja Army, Rasa became even more indifferent to the opinions of others.

Compared to the Shogunate's ninja army, the Sand Village was far behind in terms of tactics, weaponry, training, and even teamwork!

Although he only brought back about 700 ninja soldiers from the Land of Wind, Rasa was confident that he could defeat more than three times the number of Iwagakure ninja soldiers with this force!

If we add the Sand Village ninjas from the same faction, Rasa's strength is now fully capable of contending with Ebizo's founding faction.

As for Yekura, who was in charge of the Inspectorate and had a high reputation among the Jonin, Rasa did not take her seriously.

After all, Rasa knew the fickle nature of the Sand Village's Jonin; with enough benefit, a little trickery could easily make the Inspectorate defect to their side.

Moreover, Rasa's strength is definitely superior to Yekura's!

Especially after entering the Wind Temple and reaching an agreement with the current One-Tailed Jinchuriki, Rasa became even more fearless.

As for the whereabouts of the Third Kazekage... After Rasa led his troops back to the Land of Wind, the news of the Kazekage's disappearance spread like wildfire. Although opinions within the village were divided, everyone was most concerned about who would inherit the throne in the next generation.

After all, the position of Kazekage is not just about being the head of a simple ninja village, but also about governing and ruling the Land of Wind, one of the Five Great Nations!

Of course, the Sand Village ninjas did not completely give up their pursuit of the truth behind the Third Kazekage's disappearance.

Under the guidance of the counter-terrorism ninjas, the Shadow Guard changed their high-profile search for the Third Kazekage to a covert manhunt for the murderer, and began to conduct a thorough investigation within the ninja village, striving to screen everyone.

But this did not stop Yekura, who was unwilling to accept defeat, from trying to fight back against the Rasa organization.

Although the Inspectorate was thrown into turmoil by Rasa, Yekura still managed to organize his loyalists and assemble a ninja army of up to three thousand men.

Rasa, not to be outdone, gathered his supporters on top of the anti-terrorism force and organized a Sunagakure army of over two thousand men. They occupied the eastern part of the Sunagakure village headquarters and confronted the forces of Yotsuba, who occupied the western part.

As for Ebizo's veteran faction, they maintained stability in the southern region.

The main battleground between Yekura and Rasa is the northern district where the Sunagakure Armory is located.

……

For several days in a row, assassinations continued within the Sand Village.

Although the village appeared peaceful during the day, it descended into chaos and bloodshed at night. Kunai and shuriken flew everywhere, and the veiled ninjas killed each other, while the civilians could only silently endure it all.

Although life in the ninja villages was tough, compared to the hellish lives in the oases of the Land of Wind, Sunagakure was practically paradise. So even though battles often spilled over and injured innocent people, the civilians would simply collect the bodies the next day and then go about their business as usual.

After all, poverty and hardship cannot sway one's principles.

"The ninja village can't continue like this!"

Finally, Ebizo, having reached his limit, used force to coerce key figures from both the Rasa and Yokura factions to sit down at the negotiating table.

"What merit or ability does a loyal dog of the Shogunate have to compete for the position of Kazekage!"

The aggressive Yekura fired the first shot, aiming directly at Rasa's weakness.

"...Personal attacks are strictly prohibited!"

The elder, Ebizo, also looked very grim, feeling that Yokura's inability to see the situation clearly was truly outrageous.

Regardless of Rasa's official rank or position, he was ultimately a ninja from Sunagakure. His service in the Shogunate system was a deliberate act by the Third Kazekage to demonstrate the friendship between Konoha and Sunagakure. As for the so-called "loyal dog of the Shogunate," Ebizo believed it was merely a deliberate slander by some Sunagakure members who were jealous of Rasa's achievements.

More importantly, the current Sunagakure simply doesn't have the ability to break ties with the Shogunate or even Konoha! Even the oases, which are the mainstay of its economy, have mostly been contracted out to the United Corporation, and the mercenary ninjas stationed in various oases and the Konoha western border defense forces stationed in the Land of Rivers are not people that Sunagakure can easily provoke!

Therefore, Yekura's words seemed very inappropriate.

A leader who doesn't even understand forbearance is not a good Kazekage for Sunagakure!

Ebizo once again felt that his decision to recall Rasa was the right one.

"Jonin Rasa! Do you dare to say who you serve?"

Yekura demanded aggressively, "Are you loyal to Sunagakure or the Shogunate?!"

"As the commander of the First Column of the Joint Counter-Terrorism Force, I am loyal to my duty! As a Sand Village ninja, I am loyal to the indomitable Will of the Wind!"

Luo Sha answered with his head held high.

Although the answer was not perfect, it still won the secret approval of some of the Sand Village Jonin present.

"How exactly did you get the title of 'Child of the Wind'?!"

Yekura persisted in pressing the matter.

"Granted by the Shogunate!"

Rasa was not to be outdone, "This is the best proof that the Sand Village ninjas are no less than anyone else!"

Even before the negotiations began, Rasa had already discussed his response with his confidants. Since his personal background was known to everyone in Sunagakure, the final decision was to confront the questions directly and present his deeds as "bringing glory to Sunagakure."

In this way, although Ye Cang appeared to have the upper hand, he lacked strategic vision and was somewhat unforgiving.

"If that's the case, who can still believe that you can truly be loyal to Sunagakure!"

Yecang, thinking he had outmaneuvered the situation, sneered and said, "So, you are simply not fit to inherit the position of Kazekage. You should resign from your position in the shogunate and return to your village to wait for the next term!"

"Who said I was going to inherit the position of Kazekage?"

Luo Sha immediately retorted.

"what!"

These words shocked everyone present!

"The Kazekage is the leader of all Sunagakure, not some mundane figure that you or I can bestow here privately!"

Rasa seized upon Pakura's weakness and immediately launched a fierce counterattack: "Pakura Jonin, your thinking is seriously flawed!"

"The ninja village doesn't belong to one person! You're treating the village as your private property!"

"You've forgotten the Third Hokage's will to lead all of Sunagakure in resisting the oppression of the Daimyo and nobles, and to be a pioneer in the ninja world!"

"You have neither the capacity to tolerate others nor an international perspective, and you even regard your fellow village ninjas as enemies! Jonin Yekura, how dare you! If a fool like you were to become the Kazekage, it would be a misfortune for all the Sand Village ninjas!"

Luo Sha relentlessly criticized Ye Cang from every angle, leaving her red-faced and glaring with malice.

After taking a deep breath, Yekura finally calmed down again.

But Luo Sha's subsequent remarks reignited her anger.

"Fellow Jonin, please hear me out!"

Luo Sha, who had gained the upper hand, continued to press his advantage.

"In my opinion, the position of the Fourth Kazekage should be decided by a vote of all Jonin! This is also a crucial step for us to move from isolation to civilization!"

All the Jonin present, regardless of their faction, nodded in agreement.

They had long envied the rights of the Konoha Jonin! However, the Sand Village's dictatorial tradition was deeply ingrained, and the so-called system was nothing but a mirage.

Now that Rasa, a candidate for the Fourth Kazekage, has proposed it, everyone is willing to give him a push.

Upon hearing this, Elder Hai Laozang frowned but did not say anything more.

His grandson, Scorpion, was still young and had a withdrawn personality and insufficient prestige, so he had no chance of running for Kazekage. Therefore, he was too lazy to refute this move, which was actually weakening the authority of the veteran faction.

But the extremely large Luosha (a type of amulet) is not limited to this.

"In addition, we must embrace the progress of the times and strive to reach an agreement with the joint venture..."

"Didn't you say you had no intention of inheriting the position of Kazekage?"

Yekura quickly interrupted Rasa.